Open end ratchet wrench



Atari] 28, 1953 w. A.wooD

OPEN END RATCHET WRENCH 2 SHEETS-Sl-XEET 1 Filed March 9, 1951 We don )2. Wood April 1953 w. A: WOOD I 2,636,411

OPEN END RATCHET- WRENCH Filed March 9, 1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 I N VEN TOR.

Weldon .6. l Vood ATI'ORN EYS Patented Apr. 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OPEN END RATCHET WRENCH Weldon A. Wood, Nampa, Idaho Application March 9, 1951, Serial No. 214,703

3 Claims.

This invention relates to wrenches of the crescent type used to turn tubing fittings, bolts, nuts, and the like, on continuous lines such as hydraulic and fuel supply tubing lines as used extensively on aircraft and other types of machinery, and in particular a crescent wrench having a rotatable socket member with the socket member actuated by rachet elements to facilitate turning the tubing fitting, bolt, nut, or the like in a substantially inexcessible location.

The purposes of this invention is to provide an improved structure for wrenches of the crescent type whereby nut holding or gripping jaws positioned in the end of the wrench are actuated with the ratchet action.

Crescent wrenches are used universally and particularly where the size of the conventional monkey wrench prohibits its use, but wrenches of the crescent type have not been provided with ratchet elements because of the extremely narrow width required for wrenches of this type. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a method of converting a wrench of the crescent type into a socket wrench without materially increasing the width thereof.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for mounting a rotatable nut receiving socket in the end of a wrench handle whereby the socket is actuated with a ratchet action and wherein the socket is readily removable from the handle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ratchet wrench of the crescent type wherein gripping jaws are formed in a rotatable socket and in which the socket may be released from the wrench by a knob positioned at the outer end of the handle extended from the wrench.

A further object of the invention is to provide a crescent like ratchet wrench having a rotatable socket member therein which is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a wrench having a head with the handle extended therefrom, with a socket member having ratchet teeth in the peripheral surface rotatably mounted in the head by spring actuated holding members and in which the holding members are actuated by a stem extended through the handle of the wrench.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of the wrench.

Figure 2 is an elevational view looking toward one edge of the wrench.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the wrench being taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the socket gripping members or jaws extended outwardly and the socket removed.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through the wrench taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Figure 6 is a cross section through the wrench taken on line 66 of Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a similar sectiontaken on line of Fig. 5.

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of the head of the wrench, with the socket shown in section, and with the socket holding jaws removed.

Figure 9 is a detail illustrating one of the socket holding jaws of the wrench.

Figure 10 is a detail showing the side elevational view of the socket of the wrench.

Figure 11 is a view showing a longitudinal section through the socket of the wrench.

Figure 12 is a view showing a cross section through the socket of the wrench.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the improved ratchet type crescent wrench of this invention includes a head [0 having a handle H, with a socket l2 rotatably mounted in an arcuate recess I3 in the head of the wrench, and the socket is secured in the recessby gripping jaws l4 and I5, resiliently held in, engagement with the socket by a spring [6 and actuated to open positions as shown in Fig. 4 by a cam I! on a" stem l8 extended through the handle H and actuated by a knob l9. I

The socket I2 which is of cylindrical shape is formed with rims 20 and M1 and the ratchet teeth 22 are positioned in an annular recess 23 which is located between the rims, as shown in Figure 12. The socket I2 is provided with a nut receiving opening 24 with the surfaces 25 and 26 of the socket positioned at the side of the opening, providing gripping jaws that are positioned to grip the flat surfaces of a nut, bolt head, pipe fitting, or the like.

With the socket 12 positioned in the recess I3 of the head of the wrench the rims 20 and 2| are positioned to receive arcuate extensions 21 and 28 on the inner surfaces of the jaws l4 and I5 with the jaws pivotally attached to the handle it by pins 29 and 30, as shown in Figure 5. Th pin 29 extends through an ear 3| on the jaw l5 and through an ear 32 of the jaw l4 and the pin 30 extends through a similar car 33 of the jaw l5 and an ear 34 of the jaw H.

The extensions 21 and 28 of the holding jaws l4 and 15 extend under the rims 20 and II and,

the position shown in Figure 5. The pins 34 and 35 are provided with heads 48 and ii, re-' spectively, by which the pins are retained in the openings 36 and 31.

The socket holding jaws vided with cars 42 and 43 in which theIends of the spring it are held as shown in Figs. 3 a. .The spring it, extends through an opening 44' that isp'o'sitioned in the head of the wrench.

The'inner surfaces'oi the jaws i l and are also provided withpins 55 and 1 3 that extend i'ntoan opening Win the head of the wrench and the inner ends of these pins engage the surface of the carnal? which; is positioned in the opening. lland secured to the end of the stem 58 by 'a pin iil.

Thecam, ll, isrotatedjby the knob it? and with the cam in'the position shown in 3 gripping jaws L4 arid lfi arenested against the opposite surfaces of thewrencli head and extensions 2? and 23 arefpositioned in t e rims 29 and 21 or" the socke'tJ2'. 4

With the parts arranged in this manner and positioned as illustrated'in Fig. 5 the not held in the 'openingzll of the socket i2 is urned in a clockwise direction by actuating th a with the positions oithe" parts r the pins 34 and 35 slip over the ratchet teeth 22 when the handle His turned in a clockwise direction, the nut, bolt, or pipe fitting may be unscrewed or rotated in a counterclockwise directionwith the return movement of the handle.

hi a-11d iii are proand The wrench'may'be provided indifferent sizes and the socket or opening in the socket i2 also be formed ofdiiferentdimensicns whereby a set, ora. plurality-Cor ratchets designed to receive nuts and'the like of diiierent sizes may he provided with one wrench.

It will be understood that modifications may be made in'the-design and arrangement of the parts without'departing from the spirit of the invention, j

What is claimed is:

1. A wrench having a head and a handle with i an arcuate recess in the end of the head, a cylindrical socket member having ratchet teeth in the peripheral surface and'ha-ving a nut receiving opening extended inwardly from one side, said socket member having annular rims on the opposite surfaces, gripping jaws pivotaliy mounted on the handle for movement outwardly of the plane of the handle and said jaws having arcuate extensions positioned to nest under the rims of the socket member for rotataoly holding the socket member in the recessof the head, means resiliently holding the -Saidgripping jaws within the plane of the ha'n-d1e with the extensions thereof nested under the rims of the socket membei", means actuating said-gripping jaws from the iii) at, end of the handle for releasing the said socket member, and spring actuated pins mounted in the head and positioned to coact with the ratchet teeth of the said socket member for rotating the socket member with the handles.

2. A wrench having a head and a handle with an arcuate recess in the end of the head, a cylindrical socket member having ratchet teeth in the peripheral surface and having a nut receiving opening extended inwardly from one side, said socket member having annular rims on the opposite surfaces, gripping jaws pivotally mounted on the handle for movement outwardly of the plane of the handle and said jaws having arouate extensions positioned to nest under the rims of the socket-member for rotatahly holding the socket member in the recess of the head, means resiliently'holding the said gripping jaws within the plane or the handle with the extensions thereof nested under the rims of the socket memher, a stem having a knob on the outer end eX- tended through the handle, and a cam mounted on the inner endoi the stem and positioned to spread the said gripping jaws outwardly of the plane of thehandle to release the socket member from the head, and 5;: actuated pins mounted head and positioned to ccact with the ratchet teeth of the said socket members for rotating the socket members with the handles.

3. In a wrench of the crescent type, the combination which comprises a handle having a head on one end and said head having an arcuate recess in. the end thereof, a cylindrical socke member having rims on the opposite edges with ratchet teeth positioned between the rims and with a not receiving opening extended inwardly from one positioned "to extend into said 'a-rcuate recess in the end of the head, spring actuated pins positioned in opposite sides of the head. and extended into the recess for engagement with ratchet teeth of the socket member, socket member holding jaws pivotally mounted on the wrench for movement outwardly of the plane of the wrench and said jaws having arcuate extensions positioned to extend into the rims of the socket member for rotatably retaining the said socket'niemher in the recess of the head, a spr as extended through the head and positioned with the ends connected to the said holding jaws or urging the jaws inwardly against the surfaces of the head within the plane of the head and with the said. arcuate extensions nested in the rims of the socket member, a stern extended through the handle and having a knob on the outer end, cam mounted on the inner end of the ster. and pins extended inwardly on the said holding jaws and positioned to engage the s iaceof cam for moving the jaws outwardly ofv the plane or the head as the cam is rotated.

WELDON A. WOOD.

References Cited in the file oi this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

